Chennai deploys 18,000 police personnel for Diwali security
Authorities are using drones, facial recognition and watchtowers to manage crowds and prevent theft in busy shopping districts.
Chennai police will deploy more than 18,000 officers to ensure an incident-free Deepavali on Sunday, November 8, according to reports from Urban Acres and The Hindu.
Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A. Amalraj directed officials to increase security in commercial zones with high footfall, such as T. Nagar, Pondy Bazaar, Purasawalkam, NSC Bose Road, MC Road, Koyambedu, and Anna Nagar.
The personnel include members from the Law and Order, Crime, Traffic, Armed Reserve, Tamil Nadu Special Police, and Home Guard units.
To monitor crowds and prevent crimes like pickpocketing and chain-snatching, police have installed 25 temporary watchtowers and 205 CCTV cameras. Surveillance includes seven drones in areas like Flower Bazaar and Triplicane, as well as 37 binocular surveillance teams.
Security measures also feature 199 teams using a Facial Recognition System (FRS) mobile application to track habitual offenders. Additionally, 100 body-worn cameras will be used by personnel, and mobile X-ray scanners will check belongings at markets and malls.
The city police have advised residents to follow State Government guidelines for bursting firecrackers only between 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.